


On Limited Wings

by rikacain



Category: Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-11
Updated: 2013-04-11
Packaged: 2017-12-08 04:52:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/757259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikacain/pseuds/rikacain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where soulmates are found through the concept of bond birds, Q is not quite happy with his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Limited Wings

**Author's Note:**

> Inspire by the prompt [here](http://consultingwriters.tumblr.com/post/47550494849/magical-realism-au-00q-prompt-everyone-in-the), by consultingwriters. Or, more accurately, drelfina was inspired by it, and challenged me to write this.
> 
> It's different from hers, but I'm guessing we have a dubconnish vibe going on anyway. You can read Honey [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/756887).

 

They took Cerrus from him.

It's nothing new, of course, considering how Cerrus has to go out and hunt in the middle of the night - but when the owl is taken from him it's a wholly different matter. He's left alone in the bare room and thin mattress with the phantom weight of a bird resting upon his shoulder or arm; and the room feels much, much smaller, colder, _lonelier_.

_Maybe it's a psychological tactic_ , Q thinks morosely. He regrets coming out onto the field - it was 007's job, not his. He was supposed to be in the walls of MI6, safe and secure. _Maybe it rattles the morale of the prisoner. M should consider using it against enemies of the crown they managed to capture._

It's at that exact moment (three days, his biological clock tells him, the passing of time marked as his body grows colder and jerkier without Cerrus; three days and god knows how many minutes) the door swings open and Q looks up. Cerrus hoots gently from his perch on someone else's shoulder, and Q has never felt happier in his life.

…wait. Someone else's shoulder.

He watches in bemusement as Cerrus hops onto the person's blonde mop of hair to peck affectionately at the falcon perched on the other shoulder, which is significantly bigger than his owl. The falcon pecks back, looking impossibly fond.

And Tiago (Raoul Silva now, he bitterly reminds himself) stands in the doorway, looking impossibly smug.

There are many things Q could have said. _What?_ is one of them. _How?_ is another. _Why?_ is also a possible contender.

Instead he says, "What did you do to Cerrus."

"Oh, _carino_ ," Silva says softly. "I did nothing. Nature ran its course."

"Don't pull that bullshit with me," Q snaps. "You'd think that after all the time I spent with you there'd be some sign of them nesting - and not a sudden change of mind after ten year's worth of absence."

"My dear boy," Silva says patiently.

"Don't call me that," Q hisses.

Silva continues on, as if Q had not said a word. "Do you honestly think that Giaco would try nesting with a chick? Even if I had loved you then, anyone could still see you were very much underage. Cerrus, wasn't it? Cerrus still had his down feathers, for goodness' sake."

Q flushes a deep red - Cerrus still does, much to his chagrin. 007 had pointed it out very bluntly. It was insignificant, but older people tend to regard the presence of down feathers as a lack of maturity; which was entirely untrue. Cerrus just happened to shed much more slowly, that's all.

He turns away from Silva, refusing to acknowledge the situation before him. "You did something," he insists, tone bitter. "There's no other way."

"Oh, Quentin," Silva says, and walks over to him. The birds flies off his shoulder, just to make themselves comfortable on the stringy mattress. "Believe me, this is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you." His hand settles on Q's shoulder, warm and reassuring. "But nature is such. You know as well as me that we can't control or fight it."

(Cerrus cries out in alarm as he is held down by scientists in white, and Raoul stands to the side with Giaco looking on as a clear serum is injected - )

"I'll give you time to think," Silva tells Q. "You need it." He leaves, slowly and Giaco flies up after him. After a moment's pause, Cerrus follows.

And Q is left all alone in a small barren room with neither birds nor a soul mate for company.

**Author's Note:**

> So did that part in brackets happen? Or was it Q's imagination?
> 
> You choose.


End file.
